Introductions One and Two: Next We Get To The Actual Talking...

John 1: 1-5                                                          February 2, 2021

1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²He was in the beginning with God. ³All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being ⁴in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. ⁵The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

            So we have received the divine introduction of Jesus.  From ‘in the beginning’, before Creation itself, there is the Word (spoiler: Jesus).  He is the light and the darkness has not overcome it, neither the darkness from which creation’s light was made nor from the darkness of sin that threatens the world.

John 1: 6-14                                                   

⁶There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. ⁸He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. ⁹The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. ¹⁰He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. ¹¹He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. ¹²But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, ¹³who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. ¹⁴And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.

                Now the light has entered the world.  John the baptizer came to testify to the light (but he is not the light).  He came into the world, the true light for everyone.  Then to those who received him, who believed in him, he gave power to become Children of God.  This is the Word, of creative might and equivalent of God.  He became flesh and lived among us, which will be recorded in John’s gospel moving forward.

            This is the second part of the introduction, concluding in the Word made flesh, in Jesus come down to be among us. 

            It is a unique beginning among the gospels.  It is the final lesson in our lessons and carols service at Christmas because it does not hearken back to the birth of Jesus on earth-that is acknowledged in verse 14-but because it hearkens back to Creation itself.  Jesus was at Creation.  He was not created, but is the creator.  He and God are identified, father and son are laid down as the metaphor for us to understand, in human terms, what their relationship is.  Why?  For us.  He is the true light that enlightens everyone, but not everyone recognizes or accepts the light. 

            The word ‘love’ does not occur in this passage, at least not explicitly.  But as the role and the message and the power of Jesus are laid out for us, it is implicit through the entire fourteen verses. 

            For me, the first section of John 1 is the “Creation Introduction”, the Word that is the light in the darkness.  The second section of John begins with the introduction of John the baptizer and ends with ‘the Word made flesh’ and what that means for us.  The next section will be verses 15-27, John’s testimony now recorded for us.

¹⁵(John testified to him and cried out, ‘This was he of whom I said, “He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.” ’) ¹⁶From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. ¹⁷The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.

19 This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, ‘Who are you?’ ²⁰He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, ‘I am not the Messiah.’ ²¹And they asked him, ‘What then? Are you Elijah?’ He said, ‘I am not.’ ‘Are you the prophet?’ He answered, ‘No.’ ²²Then they said to him, ‘Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?’ ²³He said,
‘I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness,
“Make straight the way of the Lord” ’,
as the prophet Isaiah said.

24 Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. ²⁵They asked him, ‘Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?’ ²⁶John answered them, ‘I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, ²⁷the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal.’ ²⁸This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing.